Supposedly, these are bakery-style bran muffins and are not supposed to
turn out dry.
X-posted to RecipeCafe
JoAnn
* Exported from MasterCook *
The Best Bran Muffins - Cooks Illustrated
Recipe By : Lisa Yockelson, author of Layer Cakes & Sheet Cakes
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads Breakfast
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour -- bleached
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
7 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar plus
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk plus
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup raisins
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375°. Mix
flour through nutmeg in medium bowl; set aside.
Beat butter in large bowl of electric mixer or with handheld mixer at
medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add brown sugar,
increase speed to medium high, and beat until combined and fluffy, about
1 minute longer. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly before
adding the next. Beat in vanilla, molasses, and sour cream until
thoroughly combined and creamy, about 1 minute longer. Reduce speed to
low; beat in buttermilk and half the flour mixture until combined, about
1 minute. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until incorporated and
slightly curdled looking, about 1 minute longer, scraping sides of bowl
as necessary. Stir in bran and raisins.
Spray a twelve mold muffin tin (each mold measuring 1/2 cup) or a six
mold muffin tin (each mold measuring 1 cup) with cooking spray or coat
lightly with butter; divide batter evenly among molds using spoon or ice
cream scoop. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center withdraws
cleanly or with a few moist particles adhering to it, about 25 minutes.
Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from
tin and serve warm.
Note: Wheat bran is available at health food stores or in boxes, labeled
Quaker Unprocessed Bran, in supermarkets.
Bran muffins tend to overbake in a flash. A tray of muffins are baked
through when they retract ever so slightly from the sides of the cups
and the tops spring back very gently. Don't look for an active spring.
The muffins will be baked through even though a wooden pick withdraws
from the centers with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. These are
bakery-style bran muffins.
Recipe from Cooks Illustrated Feb 1998.
Recipe by Lisa Yokelson, author of Layer Cakes and Sheet Cakes (Harper
Collins, 1996)
Posted to Recipe Cafe and Bread-Bakers 1/99 by JoAnn Pellegrino
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